Innovation
Stuck in the sandbox: Why bank stablecoin projects struggle to get off the ground
Five years after a wave of banks announced stablecoin ambitions, most projects remain stuck in testing. WatersTechnology spoke to more than 25 experts to find out why an increasingly mature technology has yet to translate into production-grade bank infrastructure.
AI is coming for complexity … and trading depends on it
While AI may be able to recreate interfaces, the value is in messaging networks, low-latency data, and unique information flows.
Florida and folly: Boca attendees forecast the future of market structure
Prediction markets, 24-hour trading, and tokenization were the topics du jour at FIA Boca this year, indicating that markets are getting more comfortable with the unconventional.
Sprecher says ICE will expand positioning in crypto, prediction markets
Jeff Sprecher, CEO of ICE: “We have two new [chairmen at] the SEC and CFTC that are working to try to pull the entrepreneurship in the wild west into the financial system.”
CME’s Duffy addresses outages as exchanges push toward 24/7 trading
As senior exchange execs fielded questions about overnight trading in equities, the theme of resiliency lingered.
Jump Trading CIO: Prop AMMs allow users to create ‘a mini Jump Trading’
Dave Olsen said at FIA Boca that a new concept, proprietary automated market-makers, had grabbed the firm’s attention this year.
HSBC gives 31,000 engineers an AI coding assistant
CEO Georges Elhedery said the bank is re-engineering its end-to-end processes and enhancing customer experiences with new AI tools.
Can mastering data solve AI’s cognitive dissonance?
The IMD Wrap: Bank execs are still bullish on AI, but recent studies suggest it’s not the panacea they’re making it out to be. Can the two views be rectified?
The quantum leap: How investment firms are innovating with quantum tech
While banks and asset managers are already experimenting with quantum computing to optimize operations, they should also be proactive in adopting quantum-safe strategies.
‘The end of the beginning’: Brown Brothers Harriman re-invents itself
Voice of the CDO: Firms who want to use AI successfully better start with their metadata, says BBH’s Mike McGovern and Kevin Welch.
Tokenized assets draw interest, but regulation lags behind
Regulators around the globe are showing increased interest in tokenization, but concretely identifying and implementing guardrails and ground rules for tokenized products has remained slow.
Robeco tests credit tool built in Bloomberg’s Python platform
This follows the asset manager’s participation in Bloomberg’s Code Crunch hackathon in Singapore, alongside other firms including LGT Investment Bank and university students.
Nasdaq’s blockchain proposal to SEC gets mixed reviews from peers
Public comment letters and interviews reveal that despite fervor for tokenization, industry stakeholders disagree on its value proposition.
TMX’s CEO wonders if tokenization is a ‘solution looking for a problem’
While acknowledging the potential of tokenizing securities, John McKenzie said regulators shouldn’t move too fast, and let customer demand drive adoption.
Franklin Templeton’s great DeFi migration
TradFi’s money and DeFi’s tech will inevitably combine, says the asset manager’s futurist-in-residence.
Larry Fink: ‘We need to be tokenizing all assets’
The asset manager is currently exploring tokenizing long-term investment products like iShares, with an eye on non-financial assets down the road.
Can AI be the solution to ESG backlash?
AI is streamlining the complexities of ESG data management, but there are still ongoing challenges.
Man Group sees alpha-generating strategies from agentic AI
The firm is seeing actionable use cases from AI agents, said CTO Gary Collier, speaking at a conference in London hosted by Bloomberg.
How fintechs can weather the funding winter
Investments into UK fintechs are slipping. Azimkhon Askarov, co-CEO and partner at Concryt, outlines strategies to help them through tough macroeconomic conditions in this guest column.
Is 2027 the new 24-hour trading target?
Slew of technical issues and dearth of SEC staff compound exchanges’ reluctance for round-the-clock equity trading.
Halftime review: How top banks and asset managers are tackling projects beyond AI
Waters Wrap: Anthony highlights eight projects that aren’t centered around AI at some of the largest banks and asset managers.